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European Sustainability Report 2024

European Sustainability Report 2024

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Trends in material usage Q2 2022

Trends in material usage Q2 2022

Explore the evolving trends in material usage among European architects in Q2 2022. Delve into the factors driving material preferences and the impact on construction aesthetics and sustainability.

year

2022

No. of pages

117

Target group

Architectural companies, excluding companies with only 1 employee

Key research topics

Trends in material usage among architects

Methodology

Based on 925 successful quantitative telephone interviews in native languages

Country scope

Germany, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Italy

Deliverables

Full report in pdf or ppt covering all 8 countries, support from a key account manager in case of questions

Publication frequency

Quarterly

Price

1,850 Euro

What is this report?

This report offers a comprehensive overview of trends in material usage, with a specific focus on European architects. Within the report, you will discover material usage among architects in the next 5 years across 10 different categories: building envelope, façade materials, metals, pitched roofs, flat roofs, insulation materials, bathrooms, flooring, installation, (climate) control, and finishing materials and products. The report also provides insights into material trend usage development over the years. This information can assist you in refining, enhancing, or developing your business strategies targeted at architects, as architects are often the primary indicators of market conditions. Our research is based on quantitative telephone interviews conducted with 925 registered architects, each representing firms with one or more employees, distributed across the eight major European markets.

Why do you need this report?

This report will provide key insights into the trends in material usage in the construction industry among European architects. These insights will be particularly valuable for manufacturers and wholesalers targeting this group and with this information, they can optimize their business strategies. Furthermore, understanding architects’ behavior, preferences, and forecasts regarding specific material usage will facilitate fact-based internal discussions without the need for custom research.

How was the research conducted?

This report is based on 925 successful quantitative telephone interviews with architects, conducted in the native language in Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany and Poland. The report is based on a representative sample of architects, with companies with less than 1 employee being excluded. This research is conducted quarterly  with the reports covering different key marketing topics like media orientation, BIM, prefab, sustainability and many more.

What is included in this report?

The primary focus of this research is to provide key insights into trends in material usage among European architects. The study also offers insights into 10 different categories: building envelope, façade materials, metals, pitched roofs, flat roofs, insulation materials, bathrooms, flooring, installation and (climate) control, and finishing materials and products. The report examines architects’ intentions to use these materials in the next 5 years and also tracks the development of each category over time. It highlights key differences among the 8 European countries covered and provides other valuable insights. The report also includes a detailed view of the turnover and order book developments of the architects, along with background information on their company size. 

Architects play a pivotal role in the construction industry, serving as early indicators of both positive and negative changes. The trends and developments within architectural firms serve as valuable predictors for the overall construction market. USP publishes forecasts for building volumes based on insights gained from the experiences of architects (but also all other stakeholders that are regularly interviewed by USP in the construction business value chain) and 11 other market indicators. Our future building volumes predictions have proven accurate and have stood the test of time.

Key questions answered

What are the architects’ expectations regarding material usage in the next 5 years in the following categories: building envelope, façade materials, metals, pitched roofs, flat roofs, insulation materials, bathrooms, flooring, installation and (climate) control, and finishing materials and products?
How does the development of material usage mentioned in this report evolve over the years?
Which materials are expected to grow in the next 5 years?
Which materials are expected to decline in the next 5 years?

Table of content

  1. Forecast overview 
  2. Economic and construction figures per country 
    1. United Kingdom
    2. Germany
    3. France
    4. Spain
    5. Italy
    6. Netherlands
    7. Belgium
    8. Poland 
  3. Trends in Material Usage 
    1. Building envelope 
    2. Façade materials 
    3. Metals 
    4. Pitched roofs 
    5. Flat roofs 
    6. Insulation materials 
    7. Bathrooms 
    8. Flooring
    9. Installation and (climate) control 
    10. Finishing materials and products 
  4. Research background

Frequently asked questions

  1. What is the prediction on metal material usage among European architects?

Materials made of metal are generally expected to be used less. Usage of aluminum in 2022. dropped by -9%, steel dropped by -10%, zinc by -19% and stainless steel by -20%.

  1. Which are the most popular insulation materials among European architects?

The most popular insulation materials are natural materials (34%) and stone wool/ rock mineral wool (23%).

  1. Which bathroom materials are architects expected to use more

Water and energy-saving fittings are expected to be used more in the next five years, with an increase of 65%. Shower solutions also show growth, with 50% of architects planning to use them in the next 5 years.

  1. Which floor material do European architects plan to use more in their projects?

Among floor materials like luxury vinyl tile floors, vinyl/PVC floor coverings, rubber floor coverings, carpet tiles, and carpet rolls, natural linoleum floor covering is the only flooring material expected to be used more.

  1. Which installation and climate control materials do architects plan to use more in their projects?

Although heat pumps are already in high demand, it is expected that this demand will increase by 71% in the next five years. LED lights are also popular among architects, with 72% planning to use them.

What our clients say about us

Anne Marie O’Toole-Deviller

Head of Marketing West at Kingspan

The USP Architectural barometer research has been a great asset for us in this regard and a solid basis for conducting further in-depth research.

Daniel Angelovski

Group insights manager at Velux

Their specialized insights through the European contractor monitor and European architectural barometer provide a level of industry knowledge that is otherwise challenging to obtain.

Jan Coerts

European Owens Corning

We use the European architectural barometer reports from USP to get architectural input on items relevant for the building and construction industry in Europe, helping us to set priorities in our innovation agenda.

Experts in charge of reports

Dirk Hoogenboom

Manager Sales & Marketing

Jeroen De Gruijl

Team Leader | Consultant

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